SECTION 16. Office of violence prevention; duties

There shall be in the department an office of violence prevention whose purpose shall be to coordinate and expand violence prevention activities, to reduce the incidences of interpersonal violence and intentional injury.

The duties of said office shall consist of the following:

(1) To integrate a violence prevention focus within the department of public health and those agencies which receive funding from the department;

(2) To develop collaborative relationships with other state agencies which are interested or active in the reduction of interpersonal violence including child abuse, youth violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and elderly abuse;

(3) To integrate violence prevention education into substance use and abuse prevention programs;

(4) To support the development of comprehensive community-based violence prevention initiatives within cities and towns across the state; and

(5) To develop sources of funding to maintain the office and expand its activities.